Things We Said
…when we were the happiest we ever were
Qrow was a little off for the rest of the week, and Clover found no time to actually be alone with the man, despite his best efforts. Their missions were separate, with Qrow working more with Ruby and her teammates than with the Ace-Ops.
Clover tried not to let it get to him. If his disappointment showed, no one commented.
Still, as Friday night rolled around and the halls of Atlas in the Huntsmen's wing grew noisier with off-duty soldiers getting ready to spend the night in Mantle to let off some steam, Clover found Qrow heading for the airship docks. However, he was alone; the tall man loped silently in the shadows, following the crowd at a distance. Clover simply stepped into the shadows and watched, curious as to what was going on.
In a few moments, the rookies wandered by, including Ruby and Yang. The group was talking about going dancing at a popular club. Clover smiled, memories of his own time sneaking out of Atlas on the weekends as a student flooding back into his mind; how long had it been since he'd even thought about doing something so simple?
As they boarded an airship, a dark shadow emerged from Qrow's spot, his corvid form taking to the skies and following after the airship.
Clover immediately snorted, holding back the laughs which threatened to burst out. Qrow was alright with his nieces fighting monsters, but wasn't alright when they'd be in remote proximity of adults and alcohol?
Well. Let's see if he needs a hand. With that, he jogged back to his quarters, changed into civilian attire, and headed to the docks himself.
The journey to the club was slightly different than normal thanks to eternal construction after repeated Grimm attacks. However, Clover was able to reach it in good time, paying cover and slipping into the building with ease. Immediately, the lights faded to nothing but neon strobes and a light-up floor, bodies moving in unison as they bounced. Clover's head spun as the music pulsed through the air, bass shaking the foundations of the building.
He sighed. He felt a little too old to be there, if he was being honest with himself. The crowd was far too young and vibrant for him.
Glancing up, he looked around at the second-floor balcony. Where's the best spot to get a bird's-eye-view…
Just as expected, Qrow stood at the corner of the balcony, watching the crowd of dancers with a worried scowl. It didn't take long for Clover to locate the stairs and approach the man properly. "You don't look like you're having fun," he commented once he was close enough.
Qrow jumped two feet into the air, panicked eyes quickly growing shocked and flustered. "Wha- what the hell are you doing here?" Qrow hissed, stepping close so he wouldn't have to yell over the music.
"Saw you and the kids leaving, and figured two chaperones were better than one," he replied.
Qrow stared at him incredulously.
"Besides, you may be worried about Ruby-"
"She's only seventeen," Qrow groaned, looking back at the crowd.
"-but I figured someone should defend you should anyone offer you alcohol, or try to steal your hand-"
Qrow shoved him lightly without even looking, but the smile was growing on his face.
Clover caught the hand, interlocking their fingers and pressing his shoulder against Qrow's. "-and I am more than happy to do that."
"Gods, you're the worst."
Clover shrugged, grinning. "You know you like it," he winked.
Qrow groaned in exasperation, but he clearly wasn't actually annoyed- he squeezed Clover's hand as his eyes fell back onto the crowd, honing in on a familiar blonde and brunette sitting at the bar. He narrowed his eyes. "Yang better be giving her juice."
"Was Summer a lightweight?"
"She could smell alcohol and pass out."
Clover flinched. "Alright, we'll keep an eye out. I'm sure Yang'll keep her safe."
Qrow's smile softened. "Yeah."
A few minutes of amicable silence stretched out between them. As promised, when people approached them offering drinks, Clover quickly turned them down. Qrow shook his head wryly every time, but Clover could see even in the flashing strobe lights how his face was flushed, his hand warm in Clover's touch.
The night carried on like that. The girls had made their way to the dance floor, and just as expected, Yang and Blake were easily protecting Ruby from all strangers in the crowd, whilst Weiss guarded their belongings at the corner of the bar while sipping a drink. Jaune, Nora and Ren had left a while earlier- judging by the excitement in Nora's eyes as they walked out the door, the trio was probably heading out for a midnight snack before heading home. The rookies were always responsible and consistent, if nothing else. "This… it doesn't feel like the world is ending."
"It won't," Qrow said. "We can't let it."
Clover nodded. Qrow was absolutely right; Clover had dedicated his entire life to ensuring that the future was bright, and that Atlas would survive.
He knew that Qrow didn't need to hear generic platitudes, though. "For the girls?"
The way Qrow's eyes shone as he looked up at Clover, red filled with wonder and gratitude, was all the answer he needed. For the rest of the night, Clover allowed himself to dream; to dream of a life by Qrow's side; going through domestic simplicity after routine missions; watching over Qrow's nieces; and teaching the man that even beyond Ruby and Yang, there was indeed a future for Qrow, too.